these surveillance photos show a jewelry team staking out a store in boston, waiting for a jewelry supplier or courier to make a sales call. they've been known to follow a victim for weeks or even months, learning their routines, waiting for the right time to strike. this time it was outside a hotel near chicago. >> this is not something that happens occasionally. it's pervasive. it's an epidemic. >> rich loebl is vice president of le vian jewelers in new york city. he says that thieves are so brazen, they'll even target jewelers in new york's heavily fortified diamond district. >> they say there are more police officers on the street here than anywhere else in new york, and the reason is, it's not safe to be out here without a police officer. a lot of these guys are retired. look over to the left there. see the guy with the hat on? >> right. >> retired cop, bet you anything there to protect that fedex delivery person. >> turns out he was right. but loebl learned all of this the hard way. in 1999, he was followed leaving a department store in cincinnati. after waving off his police escort,